Will win maximum Lok Sabha seats in MP: Chouhan

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 118 seats by 4pm on the counting day. It is leading in 38 of the 230 seats in Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress won 35 and is ahead in 32 assembly constituencies, while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) secured a victory in two seats and is leading in three.

Buoyed by the good show, Singh gave the credit to party workers, saying, “I express my gratitude to the party. This is the BJP, which is getting a big work done by a small worker... Shivraj is an ordinary worker. The miracle is of the organisation.”

"...our effort will be that when we fight the next Lok Sabha elections under the leadership of Narendra Modi, it should be Madhya Pradesh which contributes the maximum number seats among all states to form a government at the Centre.

"We will not spare any efforts to achieve it. We will work to the maximum to achieve this," Chouhan maintained, adding that he saying this with regard to BJP-ruled states.

BJP workers have started celebrating in MP, while gloom has descended on the Pradesh Congress Committee office on Link Road in state capital Bhopal.

“Credit for the victory goes to chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s leadership and good governance, party workers and the central leadership’s guidance,” BJP state president Narendra Singh Tomar said.

Despite apprehensions that anti-incumbency will sink the BJP’s boat, Chouhan was confident about a third term in office. So much so that three days ago, he had announced to host a dinner for party colleagues on December 8 — the judgement day.

Trends from the word go indicated the saffron party’s return to power. MP’s first result saw BJP candidate Ramlal Rautel winning from the Anuppur constituency. Chouhan, contesting from two seats, won both — Vidisha and Budhni.

In the run-up to the elections, Ajay Singh, leader of the opposition in the assembly, had said there was strong anti-incumbency wave against the government. This time, a record 72% of the 46.4 million MP voters exercised their franchise. A high turnout, traditionally, spells bad news for the ruling party.Faced with resentment against some entrenched legislators over corruption charges, the BJP had relied on Chouhan’s leadership, welfare schemes, and pro-poor and clean image.

The Congress, on the other hand, was divided from the beginning on leadership. Congress state president Kantilal Bhuria and the opposition leader were not ready to accept the leadership of state Congress campaign committee chairperson Jyotiraditya Scindia.